While in the long rundevelopers are going to want to be able to simple configure the rules to matchtheircompanystandards, thisisat leastagood temporarysolution.
As the late, great economist Julian Simon demonstrated (both with clear economic logic and an unassailable mountain of data), there is a long-run tendency for standards of living to improve and for material scarcity to relax as a constraint rather than tighten.
Sir Ian was selected to head the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which will run a new expenses system, by a committee of long-serving MPs.